Andrea's apartments

Andrea's apartments, both of them, are a physical manifestation of her emotional state in life, along with her professional success. Even though she has been successful as a professional, she does not seem to be excited or passionate about her career, and the place is reliant on other people to populate it. Her short-lived romances develop within the confines of her apartments, and at the end, she is mostly left alone to sleep in her bed.

Children

Children symbolize an alternative life that Andrea could have taken, along with representing the pain that comes with having a child. Efraim and Sigrid are the two children that Andrea is supposed to have a relationship with, and she spends the majority of the book avoiding a physical or emotional relationship with either. Once she holds Sigrid for the first time, Andrea is finally able to connect with...